Here's a Thought: New Game +

[Verlyn]

Surely, there is more than one person like me, who is an altaholic. And who also tends to have a certain level of RP about their characters. I'm not talking, sitting around and posing/talking in-character at each other. I'm talking like...I have this character who is the Scholar/White Mage. Then I have this character, the burlier guy, who is the Monk/Warrior. So on, so forth. You know, character typing.

Heavensward is coming around soon and I'd love to play the new race. Totally planning on Fantasia-ing for it. But my main classes are SCH and WHM. I think a male Au Ra would look extremely silly in a casting role.

So just roll an alt right? Except there's that loooong drudgery story and aaaall thoooose attunements to slog through. I can't just level to 50 and start building for endgame, I'd need to sit through so many cutscenes when I might not be interested in replaying the story at all.

So, what if we did a New Game + style feature? When you beat the main story mode or attune to any raid/dungeon/feature for the first time, any associated features are automatically unlocked on all subsequent created characters?

The story/attunements can still be available to play--except this time as an optional feature.

Suggestion in a Nutshell To Clear Up Misconceptions:

-Your first character finishes the story and attunements just like we all have to do right now. Nothing here changes.
-You create a brand new character.
-This character starts in your chosen city and chosen class, at level 1 with nothing. But the core story dungeons and gameplay features you unlocked previously are already unlocked.
-So you can choose to go through the story on this new character by talking to an NPC or choose to do the FATE/Dungeon/Log grind to level up. The story would still be there, just relegated to an optional feature since you already did it once.

[Heskett]

Here's a counter-thought: Nope.

You're not limited to casting attire as a WHM/SCH you know, glamour exists. Also, FFXIV is not an alt-friendly game as its been built around you playing one character with access to every single Class/Job so this idea of your's is purely something you want because you want to be lazy and not complete the Main Scenario every time. Let's be honest, are you REALLY going to go through the MQ that you've already experience 3+ times so far?

[Verlyn]

It's not about the attire, my friend. It's about the body type.
You didn't really give a reason you're against this, either. So are you just being contrary for the sake of it? How would this be bad for the game?
The only thing I could think of is gating gil farmers, but surely there is a better way to accomplish that.

[Ilitsa]

I can dig what he's trying to say, I started a character on Cactuar to play with a group of friends, but my main is on Balmung, and it was just crazy boring to try and keep up with attuning and everything, I was constantly having to keep them waiting, which they didn't mind, but that's beside the point. It was all stuff I'd already done before, I wouldn't mind an -option- on making a new character to have attunements unlock automatically as my level progresses on alts-but still make me have to progress through all the quests and everything, just not have to run to the attunements to do so.

[Heskett]

How would this be bad for the game?

I believe it would contradict with the purpose of the Armory system they've implemented. They've built this game around with you needing to only ever have 1 character in mind.

[Verlyn]

I believe it would contradict with the purpose of the Armory system they've implemented. They've built this game around with you needing to only ever have 1 character in mind.

Just because it allows for it, doesn't mean it has to be.

Besides, that gives people no incentive to take the subscription that allows you to have multiple characters per server. If this was what Squeenix had in mind entirely, I would think this subscription option would not exist.
I think it would be in Square Enix's best interest, at least, to allow for this sort of thing.

[BreathlessTao]

You're not limited to casting attire as a WHM/SCH you know, glamour exists. Also, FFXIV is not an alt-friendly game as its been built around you playing one character with access to every single Class/Job

Actually, casters are the most restricted when it comes to (the generally overcomplicated) glamour system here - cue "all classes" mage clothes and for example "GLA/PLD/MRD/WAR only" DoW gear. Also, the system was planned to play every class/job with one character, but the game itself, as it's developed, has turned quite against exactly that, discouraging multi-classing - cue the relic grind, to mention just one example.

Body types really are something that should've existed from the start, to be honest, I totally agree with that. One of the main things I don't really like either, personally.

[Hyunckel]

Isn't changing class and starting from Lv1, with prepurchased Soldiery Gear or low level melded gear (even glamoured and dyed if you want) waiting in Armory, with a Chocobo (or another type) mount + Companion to help you from Lv1, cross class skills available, all Teleport locations available, lots of Gil to spend etc a form of NEW GAME+ already?

The game is fine as it is, there is enough to do already. You're free to roll another character if you don't have enough lol

[HakuroDK]

As far as I know, there is only one MMO that has ever had a New Game+ feature, and that was DDO.

If a New Game+ feature worked here like it did in DDO (using that as an example as that would be the precedent), then I'd have to say no. Good concept, but I cannot see a good execution of it.

[Felis]

Also, the system was planned to play every class/job with one character, but the game itself, as it's developed, has turned quite against exactly that, discouraging multi-classing - cue the relic grind, to mention just one example.

So you want to say that grinding for 9 zodiac weapons on 9 different characters is easier and faster than on 1 character?